52 Disaster Recovery Tips Recap: Weeks 5-8
Posted by Matt Spada on Fri, Jun 04, 2010
As part of our comprehensive disaster recovery planning services, Agility Recovery Solutions sends out a free weekly tip through email. If you would like to receive these tips, please sign up here.
Week 5: Strengthen your plan via testing.
Testing annually is the crux to creating and preserving a viable recovery plan. Test every aspect of your recovery plan, from internal and external communications to regaining power to rebuilding networks. Take the insight gained during this exercise to make your plan stronger, so that when an event does occur your business will recover smoothly and as efficiently as possible.
Week 6: Ease into testing.
When testing your recovery plan for the first time, simplicity is key. Build out an annual testing strategy and gradually add layers of complexity to your test program each year.
Start by reviewing your written recovery plan with leaders within your company. Walk through a mock disaster scenario and review the responsibilities of key personnel. Once you've established a comfort level, then move on to testing technology, server recovery, and communications.
Week 7: Lay your cards on the table.
Every test of your recovery plan is a chance to improve it. For your first test, you can find great value in a "Tabletop Exercise." This usually consists of a day-long meeting with the employees that make up your disaster recovery team. The goal is to simulate each of the steps taken during a recovery in order to test the plan, identify shortcomings, and help employees practice their recovery responsibilities.
A tabletop test can be a great way to test your plan without any cost at all. Once your team is confident in their responsibilities and your plan, you can begin adding hands-on elements to your tests.
Week 8: Don't be Afraid to Fail.
It's a common misconception that your continuity plan can fail a test exercise, when in reality the only failed test is the one you don't perform. A test exercise is a great way to validate the strengths and expose the weaknesses of your plan while providing valuable practice for employees to prepare for a real recovery. Remind your management team early and often that a test exercise is meant to find "failures" now, so they become "successes" during a recovery.
If you have additional questions or would like to talk with a recovery professional about your business continuity needs visit www.agilityrecovery.com or call 866-364-9696.
